Chapter 38: Affection
You’re Not Even Worth a Single Strand of My Wife’s Hair…

Jiang Zhimiao’s little face flushed bright red. “Are you insane! Why are you insulting my mother? You scheming woman, you jealous shrew!”

Magistrate Li’s expression also darkened with embarrassment. “Yongshi! What nonsense are you spouting? This is Scholar Jiang’s wife—how could you casually insult her? You’ve read books—how could you be so rude? Apologize to Mrs. Jiang at once, or you’ll be confined to your room for half a year to reflect on your behavior!”

Wei Fengling’s face also fell. “Sister-in-law was only being kind. Miss Li’s words were rather excessive, weren’t they?”

Seeing everyone speak up in her defense, Lin Guilan felt even more apologetic. She waved her hands repeatedly and said, “It’s alright, it’s alright. Miss Li is an unmarried young lady from a noble family—it’s perfectly normal for her to dislike children. I’m just a country woman with no understanding of proper etiquette. This really isn’t Miss Li’s fault.”

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Jiang Qingshi said as he walked over, taking Jiang Zhimiao and grasping Lin Guilan’s hand. He bowed to the magistrate, but the warmth had vanished from his eyes. “Magistrate Li, I respect you as a parental official who cherishes the people as his own children and governs with fairness. I hold you in high esteem and am deeply grateful for your gracious treatment. However, my wife came with me to this banquet only to be insulted by your daughter. Though I am merely a lowly Scholar, insignificant as an ant, if I cannot even protect my own wife, I do not deserve to be called a man.”

Magistrate Li’s face flushed with shame, and his gaze toward Li Yongshi grew even sterner. “Yongshi, apologize to Mrs. Jiang at once!”

Though Li Yongshi was usually spoiled and willful, she still feared her father. Seeing that he was truly angry, she reluctantly turned to Lin Guilan and said, “Mrs. Jiang, I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me.”

Lin Guilan had never received an apology from a young lady of such high status. In her eyes, Li Yongshi was the most noble young lady she had ever encountered. She glanced at Li Yongshi, then at Magistrate Li, and said, “Magistrate Li, my husband has been buried in his studies since childhood and knows little of the ways of the world. His words just now were too harsh—please do not take them to heart. Miss Li was only joking—I didn’t mind it at all. Let’s all just forget this ever happened!”

Observing Lin Guilan’s demeanor, Magistrate Li nodded inwardly. Though Scholar Jiang’s wife came from a farming family, her conduct was refreshingly straightforward, and she clearly understood propriety and reason. No wonder Scholar Jiang was so protective of her. Most men, upon achieving some fame, were quick to deny their origins. Yet Scholar Jiang, now the Top Scholar, still carried himself with such integrity—he was clearly a man of loyalty and principle.

With Lin Guilan’s words, the conflict was finally put to rest. Though everyone continued to drink and chat as if nothing had happened, this small incident had left a thorn in everyone’s hearts.

Especially Li Yongshi, who was already seething with anger, now seeing Jiang Qingshi so staunchly defending Lin Guilan and being forced to apologize to her, grew even more furious. She kept downing cup after cup of wine. Wei Fengling was thoroughly disgusted with Li Yongshi as well; witnessing her shrewish and disrespectful behavior, so arrogant and self-centered, he secretly resolved in his heart that no matter what, he must persuade his father to break off the engagement upon returning home. He could not allow such a woman to enter the Wei family’s gates.

Jiang Qingshi had been toasted several times and was already feeling a bit light-headed. Although Lin Guilan wanted to help him ward off the drinks, it ultimately seemed inappropriate, so she could only watch worriedly as Jiang Qingshi drank a few more cups. Unable to hold his liquor well, Jiang Qingshi stood up to relieve himself. The Drinking Crane Pavilion was enormous, and reaching the Xue Yin required crossing a large garden. After freshening up, Jiang Qingshi paced back and forth in the garden, hoping to sober up a bit and avoid embarrassing himself upon returning.

Amid the sparse flowers and trees, the night breeze rustled, making the moonlight flicker. Just as Jiang Qingshi began to feel a bit more sober from the sound of bamboo leaves rustling, someone suddenly embraced him tightly from behind.

Jiang Qingshi reacted almost instinctively, grabbing the person and harshly pulling them off before shoving them away forcefully.

Instantly sobered, he broke into a cold sweat and, upon closer inspection under the pale moonlight, saw Li Yongshi’s equally pallid face.

“What are you doing, Miss Li?” Jiang Qingshi’s voice was already tinged with anger. “How shameless to approach an unrelated man like this—is this the behavior of a respectable young lady?”

“Jiang Lang,” Li Yongshi, clearly drunk, pleaded, “Jiang Lang, do you remember? The first time we met was just like this—we bumped into each other, and from then on, our romance began.”

Jiang Qingshi frowned slightly. “When have we ever met?”

“You don’t remember at all?” Li Yongshi’s voice was pitiful as she lamented, “You’ve forgotten—at the Wei residence, I was running in a hurry and collided with you…”

“Why bring this up, Miss Li?” Jiang Qingshi interrupted her sharply. “You are Brother Wei’s fiancée. What position do you think this puts me in? I am a married man and must remain faithful to my wife. Since this is inappropriate, Miss Li, you must not mention it again!”

“I don’t like Wei Fengling at all!” Li Yongshi’s voice grew shriller as she took a hurried step forward, eager to express her feelings. “Before, I only knew that Young Master Jiang was handsome, but I had no idea of your talents. Now that you’ve achieved the Prefectural Examination Top Scholar, your future is immeasurable. I heard this was your first time taking the exam, and you already earned such a title—it shows you were held back before. Marrying and having children so early has delayed your pursuit of scholarly honors… If not for marrying that rustic village woman, you might already be a Recommended Man by now! My father didn’t pass the imperial exam until he was nearly forty and is only a seventh-rank official to this day. Young Master Jiang, your future is boundless, but your current marriage is holding you back. With so many burdens—an illiterate wife and a crying child—how can you focus on your studies!”

Jiang Qingshi had grasped Li Yongshi’s implication. His eyes grew colder, and his tone carried a hint of sarcasm. “Oh? What exactly are you trying to say, Miss Li?”

“If I could become your wife, Young Master Jiang…” Li Yongshi’s cheeks flushed pink. “Although my father’s official position isn’t high, he has accumulated some influence at court. Young Master Jiang, I could become your support, as long as you…”

Li Yongshi stepped forward, attempting to take Jiang Qingshi’s hand, but he evaded her.

Jiang Qingshi looked down at Li Yongshi, his eyes utterly cold. “Miss Li truly lacks shame, seducing a married man. In my eyes, you aren’t even worth a single strand of my wife’s hair, let alone comparable to her.”

Li Yongshi froze completely, as if plunged into an icy abyss.

“My wife supported my studies—she’s intelligent and capable, yet you hope I’d be ungrateful and become a modern-day Chen Shimei.” Jiang Qingshi gave a cold laugh. “Miss Li, if I were truly that kind of man, wouldn’t you fear I’d abandon you later for better prospects? Out of respect for our shared hometown, I’ll offer you one final piece of advice: be down-to-earth from now on, cherish what you have, and stop deluding yourself by disrupting others’ marriages. You and my wife are both women—how could you speak so disparagingly of another woman? I won’t even compare you to my wife, because you’re fundamentally incomparable to her. I also won’t mention your status as Brother Wei’s fiancée anymore—Brother Wei is upright and straightforward by nature, and you’re utterly unworthy of him.”

Having said this, Jiang Qingshi didn’t even glance at Li Yongshi before turning and leaving.

After walking some distance and just turning from the garden into the tavern, someone suddenly patted his shoulder from behind.

Jiang Qingshi turned to see Wei Fengling. Given what had just transpired, he felt somewhat uncertain how to face Wei Fengling. After a moment’s thought, he decided brothers should be honest with each other. “Brother Wei, just now Li Yongshi…”

Wei Fengling patted Jiang Qingshi’s shoulder and grinned broadly. “No need to explain—I saw everything.”

Jiang Qingshi grew even more embarrassed, mortified that Wei Fengling had witnessed the scene. “You… saw everything?”

“I noticed you were drunk and unsteady on your feet earlier, so I followed because I was worried about you.” Wei Fengling smiled. “Well done! I wasn’t wrong to consider you my brother, Nian Chen. You’re truly upright and genuinely treat me as a brother. Don’t look like that—Li Yongshi’s infatuation with you has nothing to do with you. Actually, this has solidified my decision to break off the engagement. Although my father wanted this advantageous match, he still values face. When I privately tell him about this, he’ll probably drop the matter.”

“Really?” Jiang Qingshi still felt somewhat guilty. “It seems unfair for you to break off the engagement because of me.”

“I’ve long known she looked down on me.” Wei Fengling slightly raised his chin. “I, Wei Fengling, still have some pride. I won’t force myself on a woman who doesn’t care for me.”

Hearing this, Jiang Qingshi felt relieved. Mimicking Wei Fengling’s usual manner, he lightly punched his shoulder. “Alright! There’ll be better matches waiting. You’ll definitely find a girl who reciprocates your feelings someday!”

Wei Fengling’s withdrawal from the engagement went smoothly this time. Whether the magistrate had noticed something or not, he quietly called off the marriage and instead arranged for Li Yongshi to be betrothed to the son of one of his colleagues. This colleague had passed the imperial examination in the same year as Magistrate Li and now held a modest fifth-rank position in the capital. The reason he took a liking to Li Yongshi was because his son was a widower—his previous wife had passed away two years earlier. Now, Li Yongshi was to marry into the family as a second wife.

With the engagement broken off, Wei Fengling felt even more at ease. Every day, he hummed cheerful tunes while strolling through the streets, often playing with Jiang Zhimiao and occasionally visiting Lin Guilan’s shop. Having resolved the heavy burden weighing on his mind, he felt truly lighthearted.

Jiang Qingshi’s attainment of the Scholar title was somewhat ill-timed. Typically, the Academy Exam was held twice every three years. Due to delays in previous years, Jiang Qingshi had taken the second exam organized during the Education Commissioner’s term. Although he was now a qualified candidate eligible for the Provincial Examination, the Autumn Examination was scheduled for the following year.

In other words, Jiang Qingshi now had only one year to prepare before diving headfirst into the Provincial Examination.

Now that he had become a Scholar, Jiang Qingshi was eligible to study at the county academy. During the banquet hosted by Magistrate Li, this matter had been discussed. In truth, enrolling in the academy was merely a formality to secure eligibility for the Provincial Examination. Jiang Qingshi did not attend daily, but whether he went or not, he spent nearly every waking moment buried in books, paying no attention to the outside world.

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhimiao was sent to the Wei family’s private school under the pretext of beginning his education. The Wei family was, after all, one of the wealthiest households in the region, with many children from its branches, though Wei Fengling was the only son of the current head of the family. Jiang Zhimiao had initially worried about being bullied at the Wei family’s private school, but under Wei Fengling’s protection, he practically strutted around with impunity.

In his leisure time, Wei Fengling often took Jiang Zhimiao out to play, treating him almost like his own son. Jiang Zhimiao’s life couldn’t have been more comfortable!

It seemed the Wei family was truly his destined home!

As for the lessons taught by the tutor, Jiang Zhimiao’s inner self was already that of a young man, so learning these things came naturally to him. Jiang Qingshi was too busy to supervise him closely, only occasionally checking his progress. Jiang Zhimiao had already figured out how to handle his father’s spot checks.

In his previous life, his childhood had been lonely and solitary, but in this life, he finally enjoyed a happy and fulfilling childhood.

Winter was approaching, and Wei Fengling took Jiang Zhimiao to inspect the family’s ancestral properties while also buying a couple of luxurious robes for the cold season—he had grown tired of last year’s attire. Holding Jiang Zhimiao’s small hand, Wei Fengling had just stepped out when a red wedding sedan passed by, followed by a grand procession. It was clear this was no ordinary affair.

“That’s the magistrate’s daughter getting married today. I heard she’s marrying into a family in the capital. It’s a long and arduous journey—who knows how many days it will take.”

“Originally, the magistrate’s daughter was engaged to the son of the Wei family, the wealthiest in Jiangping. The match seemed perfect, but somehow it fell through.”

“Ah, who can ever make sense of the affairs of these wealthy families…”

Jiang Zhimiao observed Wei Fengling’s expression and, seeing how relaxed he looked, felt slightly relieved. It seemed Wei Fengling hadn’t been affected by the matter.

“Cutting off ill-fated ties,” Wei Fengling hummed a little tune. “I’m buying three of the most luxurious robes today to celebrate this.”

It appeared Jiang Zhimiao had worried for nothing—was there anyone more carefree than Wei Fengling?

Wei Fengling carried Jiang Zhimiao to the largest clothing store in Jiangping County. Halfway there, Wei Fengling suddenly stopped. Puzzled, Jiang Zhimiao looked up and saw Wei Fengling staring blankly in one direction, as if suddenly petrified.

Following Wei Fengling’s gaze, Jiang Zhimiao spotted a woman leading a boy and a girl by the hand. She wore coarse linen clothes, her hair casually tied with a cloth scarf, dressed like a peasant woman. Yet her features were as exquisite as a painting, her grace unparalleled. Not only was Wei Fengling stunned, even Jiang Zhimiao found himself captivated.

Was this woman a celestial being descended to earth?

Such beauty belonged in the heavens, rarely seen in the mortal world…

Why did she seem somewhat familiar…

But before Jiang Zhimiao and Wei Fengling could get a proper look, the woman turned into an alley and vanished from sight.

Jiang Zhimiao looked up at Wei Fengling, who still had his mouth agape, clearly not yet recovered from the stunning sight.

He had always thought Uncle Wei was the type indifferent to women, focused solely on amusement. Little did he know he just hadn’t met his destined one.

But that woman was clearly already married. Poor Uncle Wei—it seemed he had no chance…

Jiang Zhimiao had nearly forgotten this small incident by evening when he was returned to his residence by Wei Manor’s servants. Dusk had fallen, and lanterns were already hung at his doorstep. He felt somewhat puzzled—usually, his father paid no attention to outside affairs, so why had he taken the initiative to hang lanterns today? Was he in the mood for some scholarly elegance?

Skipping through the door, Jiang Zhimiao calculated that his mother likely hadn’t returned yet. If he slipped in quietly… his father was usually buried in books, oblivious to the world—as long as he wasn’t discovered…

Clutching his satchel, Jiang Zhimiao tiptoed inside, but the moment he stepped in, he froze on the spot—the room was filled with people, all turning to look at him in unison.

His father sat solemnly in a chair, while his mother stood beside a woman, seemingly comforting her. Both turned toward him at the sound.

When Jiang Zhimiao saw the woman’s face clearly, he was horrified—wasn’t this the celestial beauty he had seen on the street?

Why was she in his home!

———————–Author’s Note: New character appearance [Owl]